Balloons continue to be a very popular novelty item for all ages, particularly balloons filled with helium such that they float in air. Balloons have been embellished in many ways, including illuminating them from within. Typically, devices for such illumination consist of a light source (e.g., a light bulb) connected by wires to a power source (e.g., battery). As the batteries used to power the light source have traditionally been relatively heavy, affecting the ability for a helium-filled balloon to float, batteries are often remotely connected to the light source within the balloon by a length of wire. This wire must travel through an opening in the balloon to reach the light source within, thus exposing the balloon to leakage at said opening. To address this, the prior art has routed wire through a hollow shaft having the light source sealed in an air-tight configuration at one of its ends. A flange, ridge, plug or similar structure is provided on the shaft, spaced apart from the light source, such that the inflated balloon may make an air tight seal therearound, allowing the wires to exit the shaft in an air-tight fashion to be connected to a power source remote from the light source and balloon, while simultaneously simplifying the process of closing the balloon's gas inlet.
While one class of balloon, generally fabricated out of polyester film (e.g., Mylar), can be fabricated to effectively be self-sealing, permitting the shaft to be inserted into an inflated balloon without significantly expelling the gas within, for all other classes of balloons this raises the problem that in the process of inserting the light structure into a filled balloon gas from the balloon will escape. Processes have been developed which involve inserting a special shaft/light combination into a balloon prior to the balloon's inflation, such that the balloon is sealed as previously discussed. The shaft is provided with a one-way valve such that gas introduced at one end can flow out at a point between the shaft's ends, but cannot flow back into the shaft at that point. Gas is then introduced into the end of the shaft protruding from the balloon, entering the balloon at the one-way valve, effectively filling the balloon with the light assembly previously installed. However, such one-way valve arrangements are costly, heavy, and prone to, failure.
Furthermore, prior art devices suffer from the need to remotely connect the light source and the power source if it is desirable that the balloon float in air. This is disadvantageous for numerous reasons, including precluding providing a traditional balloon and ribbon combination, exposing the interconnection wires to possible damage, and additional cost for the interconnection wires and hardware.
In addition, for ornamental and aesthetic reasons, there is a great desire to provide balloons that are colorful and dynamic, in the sense that their colors periodically change. However, prior art devices have heretofore provided only monochromatic illumination. The only way to change colors of the internal lighting is to change the internal light source.